Voltage converter tube



S. RUBEN VOLTAGE CONVERTER TUBE March 5,' 1940.

Filed Nov 21 INVENTOR 5mm/i um/ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 5, 1940 ATENT OFFlCE VOLTAGE CONVERTER TUBE Samuel Ruben, NewRochelle, N. Y., assigner to Oscar A. Ross, New York, N. Y.

Application November' 21, 1935, Serial No. 50,901 Renewed July 28, 1939 4 Claims.

This invention relates to combined interruptorrectiiier devices for interrupting and rectiiying electric currents.

An object of the invention is to improve an interrupter-rectier device.

Another object is to provide an interrupter and rectifier device which is adapted to cause periodic variations in an electric current flowing in a circuit and to rectify current owing in a cir cuit.

A further object is to produce an improved voltage converter whereby electric circuit potentials can be raised to values higher than those supplied by the potential source.

A still further object is to provide an interrupter-rectiiier unit having some of its parts common to both the interrupter and the rectifier.

An additional object is to provide an improved mercury vapor tube.

Another object is to provide an improved mercury switch.

Further objects are to reduce mechanical noises resulting from operation of the interruptor, to prevent wear and oxidation of the interrupter conta-cts and to achieve economical manufacture and operation of the interrupter-rectiiier unit.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing taken in connection with the appended claims.

In one embodiment the invention may comprise an evacuated envelope containing a quantity of arc-producing body, such as mercury, a contact arranged to make contact with the body, and a metal electrode spaced iromvthe body and cooperating therewith to iorm a rectifying unit. The

Contact may suitably be actuated by an electromagnet which is intermittently energized.

The invention accordingly comprises the fea-` tures of construction, combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and methods of manufacture referred to above or which will be brought out and exemplified in the disclosure hereinafter set forth, including the illustrations in the drawing, the scope of the invention being indicated in the appended claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention as well as for specific fuliillment thereof, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through a voltage (Cl. Z50-27.5)

Figure 2 is a perspective View of certain of the operating parte of the tube and associated structure;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a modified unit embodying features of the present invention; 5 and Figure 4 is aA section on the line l--ll of Figure 3.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

While a preferred embodiment oi the invention is described herein, it is contemplated that conn siderable variation may be made in the method oi procedure and the construction oi parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit` Referring to thedrawing the voltage converter unit comprises an evacuated glass envelope I provided with a mounting base I I of conventional for-m provided with prongs I2, I3 and I4 for connecting the elements of the unit to the external circuits. The unit is preferably mounted with the base Ii at the top sothat a quantity of mercury l5 will form a pool at the end of the tube I opposite base I I this end being at the bottom of the tube when it is mounted in operating position. Conductor I6, which is connected to prong Hi and which passes through the wall oi envelope Ill, dips into the mercury pool I at its lower end to provide an external circuit connection with the mercury.

A metal ring electrode I'I4 is supported by conductors I8 within tube I0 and spaced' slightly above the surface of mercury pool I5, preferably with its face parallel to the surface of the mercury. Conductors I8 are connected to prong` member I3. I

A fiat metal. spring i9, preferably of tungsten is also mounted within tube lil, preferably slightly .above ring member il and having its face parallel thereto. Spring i9 is supported by conductors 2l) which pass through the wall of the envelope and are connectedy at their end to prong l2. Conductors i6, i8, and 2B are all sealed into the wail of glass envelope lll.

The flat metal spring i9 carries at its free end an iron armature 2 I. An elongated rod 22, preferably of tungsten, is mounted on the under side of spring I9 near its central portion and passes downward through the central hole in ring electrode Il but is normally out oi contact wih the mercury pool I5. A tungsten spring 23 is also 55 mounted on one oi the supporting conductors 20 with its free end positioned close to the upper surface of spring I9 so that it may act as a stop to prevent excessive oscillation of the armature spring I9.

An electromagnet 24 is mounted outside of tube IU and is provided with a pair of spaced pole members 25 and 25 which are positioned very close to the Wall of tube III immediately adjacent to armature .ZI so that energization of electromagnet 24 Will cause the poles thereof to draw armature 2l toward the lower end of the tube.

In the circuit shown in connection with this tube 21 is a battery having one of its ends connected to prong I2 and also to one terminal of electromagnet 24. The other terminal of battery 21 is connected to one end of primary winding 29 of transformer 28. The other end of primary winding 29 is connected to prong I4 and also to the remaining terminal of electromagnet 24. Prong I3 is connected directly to terminal 3l of the output circuit, to which is connected one end of a voltage dividing resistor 32 in the output circuit. Secondary winding 3U of transformer 28 has one of its ends connected to prong I4 and the other end connected through choke coil 33 to terminal 34 at the other end of resistor 32. A pair of condensers 35 and 36 are connected across the output circuit on both sides of choke coil 33 so that they form, together with the choke coil, a filter circuit for suppressing undesirable oscillations in the output circuit.

In the operation of the system shown in Figure l current from battery 21 passes through the winding of electromagnet 24 and transformer primary Winding 29 in series. Since the winding of electromagnet 24 is of comparatively high resistance the current intensity is comparatively small but is suicient to magnetize electromagnet 24 and cause the poles thereof to attract armature 2l which is mounted on the spring I9 inside the tube. The attraction of armature 2| causes Contact 22 to dip into mercury bath I5 thereby short circuiting electromagnet 24 and allowing a greater amount of current to ilovv in primary winding 29. The short circuiting of electromagnet 24 allows armature 2I to spring back and pull contact 22 out of the mercury bath I5. The

Abreaking of the contact With the mercury produces an arc at the point of break and ionizes the atmosphere between ring electrode I1 and the mercury bath thereby providing a low impedance uni-laterally conductive path between this electrode and the mercury bath.

The change in current in primary winding 29 caused by the break in contact with the mercury results in a high induced E. M. F. across secondary Winding 3G of step-up transformer 28. This high E. M. F. produces a current in the secondary circuit, which current is rectified by the uni-r laterally conductive atmosphere between the mercury bath I5 and ring electrode I1, which electrodes are in series with the secondary winding 3U. The rectified current passes through dividing resistor 32 and choke coil 33 in the output circuit so that a high direct current potential is applied across terminals 3| and 34. It Will be obvious that low potentials can be obtained by tapping resistor 32 at various points as is indicated by terminals 31.

In the modified unit shown in Figures 3 and 4 a metal tube 40 is utilized in place of the glass envelope used in the previous arrangement. The tube 4I) is provided with a iianged wall member .4I through which the terminals are extended and connected to the external circuits. In this embodiment a pool of mercury 42 is provided Within the tube and a ring shaped electrode 43 is spaced slightly above the surface of the mercury and is supported by a conducting support member 44. Support member 44 passes through end Wall member 4I and is sealed therein by means of a glass bead 45 as is customary in metal tube practice. A at tungsten spring 46 is mounted parallel to and slightly above ring 43 as in the previous instance but in this case spring member 46 is considerably shorter than before While armature member 41 connected thereto is considerably longer and compensates for the shortening of spring 45. Contact memiber 48 is mounted on the lower face of armature 41 and passes through the central opening in ring shaped electrode 43 but is normally held out of contact with the mercury. As previously described the armature assembly is supported by a conductor 49 which is also Welded by means of a glass bead in the wall 4I.

Electromagnet winding 50 is provided completely surrounding the metal tube member 40 Which is preferably of paramagnetic material, such as iron so that the tube wall structure is the core of the electromagnet. Winding 58 is preferably supported by a spool form` 5I. Contact is made to the mercury 42 through the metal wall 40 of the tube by means of a conductor 52 secured to the Wall. Upon energization of the winding 56 a magnetic pole will be developed at the lower end of the tube which will pull the armature down so that the contact member 43 dips into the mercury. With intermittent energization of the winding the armature will be caused to vibrate, as in the previous modification, to produce intermittent contact with the mercury body. The circuit connections for this modification may be the same as for the one previously described.

While mercury has been described as the preferred arc-producing body other materials may, in some instances, be used, such as amalgame of mercury with other metals; for instance, with sodium and potassium. 'I'he type of atmosphere or degree of vacuum used can be adjusted to be suitable for the electrode material and electric circuit conditions desired to be used.

It is contemplated that with both modications the circuit arrangements may be varied in a number of ways without departing from` the invention.

In the claims it is understood that the word mercury shall be construed broadly enough to include amalgams of mercury with other metals and materials.

While the present invention, as to its objects and advantages, has been described herein as car ried out in specic embodiments thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereby but it is intended to cover the invention broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic device comprising a metal tube of parairragnetic material, electrodes Within said tube, an electromagnet armature member and an electromagnet winding, said metal tube being the magnetic core of said winding.

2. An interrupter-rectifier device comprising an envelope of paramagnetic material, rectier and contact elements therein, an electromagnet armature therein, one of said contacts being mounted thereon, an electromagnet winding, said envelope comprising the magnetic core for said Winding and said. armature comprising the armature therefor.

3. An electromagnetic device comprising a metal tube of paramagnetie material, a substantially stationary electrode supported within the tube, a pivoted electrode supported in juxtaposition to the stationary electrode Within the tube, said pivoted member acting also as an armature, and a magnetic coil supported on the outer surface of the tube whereby the tube will act as a core for the coil to provide a suflicient field for armature operation.

4. An electromagnetic device comprising a metal tube of paramagnetic material, a substantially stationary and a pivoted electrode supported in juxtaposition Within the tube, a pool of cu.'- rent-conducting fluid carried in one end of the tube adjacent the electrodes, and a magnetic coil mounted on the outside of the tube to actuate the pivoted electrode whereby the paramagnetic tube acts as a core for the coil to provide a suicieni field for operation.

SAMUEL RUBEN. 

